Product Owner, Audacity
Description
Audacity is the world's most popular free, open-source audio editor — a 25+ year legacy product with a massive global user base, now going through its most ambitious transformation ever: from audio editor to a full DAW.
We're looking for a Product Owner to lead this transformation.
What is in it for you?
Own a product used by millions - Shape the future of the world's leading free music notation platform, used by composers, educators, and musicians globally.
Radical ownership and impact - Drive product strategy, roadmap, and community engagement.
Work at the intersection of music, open source, and AI - Help define the next generation of creative tools alongside one of the largest music communities in the world.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibilities
- Define Audacity's product strategy and roadmap with measurable goals and quarterly milestones — including a credible, dated plan for the DAW transformation (audio engine migration, MIDI & MIDI 2.0, VSTi support, piano roll, mixer, AI-assisted workflows).
- Own backlog and prioritization end-to-end — what gets built, deferred, or cut, with clear rationale and acceptance criteria.
- Make the product decisions that unblock the team — flows, edge cases, defaults, quality bars — and steer designers and engineers as they execute.
- Drive every release end-to-end — plan, scope, quality standards, community communications, launch metrics, post-release reports.
- Own key metrics — DAU, installs, website traffic, ecosystem impact — with trusted tracking, weekly reviews, and data in every decision.
- Grow Audacity's role in the Muse ecosystem — drive cross-product scenarios and attribution with MuseHub and Audio.com, turn Audacity's user base into active users of the wider ecosystem.
- Own how Audacity engages with its open-source community and the product story, staying accountable for the narrative around every release.
- Lead, develop, and grow the Audacity team — 8 people across engineering, design, and QA.
Requirements
- Proven Product Owner or Product Manager track record for a complex software product with a large active user base.
- Deep understanding of audio production and DAW workflows. You don't need to be a professional producer, but you should be fluent in how people actually make and edit audio.
- Comfortable working closely with engineers on a multi-platform C++ desktop application — making informed trade-offs on performance, stability, and architecture.
- People management experience — you've directly led and grown a multidisciplinary team.
- End-to-end data ownership — instrumenting, tracking, setting targets, and actually moving them.
- Comfort engaging with vocal external communities. You can own the narrative when decisions are unpopular.
- Strong written and verbal communication in English.
Benefits
Creativity every day: Make inspiring products for musicians, artists and creators – no day is the same.
Impactful work Influence the future of the music industry and change the lives of millions worldwide.
Work set up: We’ll make sure you’re set up for success with the right work equipment, whether that’s company-provided hardware or an equipment allowance.
Growth and development: Receive specialized training, language lessons, conferences and learning materials.
Team well-being: Support for your mental health and wellbeing, including confidential help during life’s tougher moments.
